A Gift Of Wine Brings Many Pleasures

Wine is more than a gift in itself. What comes along with the beverage in the bottle (or box) is perhaps just as important. How we appreciate and enjoy wine goes hand in hand with its flavor. Enjoying wine provides some of the most pleasurable moments in life.

Along with wine comes food. Who doesn’t love to eat? How many of us have put together a special occasion just around a fine bottle of wine? Let’s not forget food and wine pairing, which is now almost as common as a Christmas tree in the window. Picking just the right dish to prepare or just the right item to go best with what we are drinking is a fun game in itself.

And when we sit down to share a meal and wine, it provides us all with an opportunity to be with each other. Whether it is at a wine-tasting dinner where you make a new connection to the former stranger whom you sat next to, or catching up with your friends and family, wine on the table can bring people together. It is the ultimate social lubricant. Wine has personally brought me many friends who share many of the same passions as I do. It also has been the impetus for dozens if not hundreds of business relationships over the years. Just think of how many people you have met over a glass or bottle of wine.

Wine slows us down. It forces us to take time out from our busy-ness and constant striving (some would call it strife) of everyday life. One can never drink wine “on the run.” It’s never a “quick drink.” Even if you try - and, believe me, I have - there is no way for me to have a glass of wine with friends and do it quickly. You can’t “squeeze it in.” You have to make time for it. And even if you do manage to rush through drinking a glass of wine, you more than likely won’t be able to enjoy it as much.

Wine revives us. It replenishes me. It helps me clear my thoughts and to think more clearly. (This is a good place to say please enjoy wine responsibly.) It is soothing and comforting. It also can be stimulating not only sensually, but also intellectually. The complexities of wine can be awe-inspiring. And if they are true wines of terroir and “messages in a bottle,” they can be unlike any other experience you have ever had. It can be ineffable yet descriptive at the same time.

At Christmas time this year, please take the time not only to enjoy great wines, but to enjoy great friends, family and the moments in between the hustle and bustle that make life memorable. Wine can give that gift. Merry Christmas!

Recommendations: 2007 Arnaud Ente Meursault Clos des Ambres ($89) Simply gorgeous wine. Arnaud Ente is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after White Burgundy producers, and this wine is stunning - great fruit, penetrating flavors and minerality combined in one. 2007 ONCE Wines “The Spoon” ($25) This Bordeaux blend from California is smooooth and velvety with rich, dark-berry notes and hints of dark chocolate and vanilla. Yummy at a great price.

Roberto Viernes is a master sommelier. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)